Fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have scheduled opportunities for the public to provide input on state-managed salmon seasons.
The first is a statewide forecast meeting on Feb. 28 in Olympia.
The meeting is part of the season-setting process known as North of Falcon, and is just one of more than a dozen in-person, hybrid and virtual meetings scheduled over the next two months to discuss Washington salmon fisheries.
North of Falcon refers to waters north of Oregon’s Cape Falcon, which marks the southern border of management of Washington’s salmon stocks, including Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Columbia River and coastal areas.
WDFW will consider input from recreational and commercial anglers and those interested in salmon fishing, while state fishery managers work with tribal co-managers to craft 2025-2026 fisheries.
“The Washington salmon season-setting process is an important time for us to hear from the public as we develop the upcoming salmon fisheries with tribal co-managers,” WDFW Director Kelly Susewind stated in a news release. “Salmon recovery is our top priority and drives the development of these sustainable salmon fisheries. We will continue to provide recreational and commercial harvest opportunities where salmon populations are healthy enough to sustain them.”
WDFW will present initial salmon forecasts developed by WDFW and tribal co-manager fisheries biologists on Feb. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Office Building 2 Auditorium, 1115 Washington St. SE, Olympia.
The main session of the Feb. 28 meeting will be available to watch via Zoom webinar at https://tinyurl.com/5x9nthyj.
Participants must register in advance.
For a full timeline of the state’s North of Falcon process visit the new WDFW North of Falcon webpage at https://tinyurl.com/45zph47p.
